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3000 sq ft home - Picacho Hills Country Club

This is a vacation rental. It does double duty as my primary residence. I occupy the adjoining, separate, casita, VRBO Listing #1191114, for the duration of Guest's occupancy. Certain personal items remain in closets and drawers.
You enter this home and are greeted by huge fossils from Morocco and a sculpture of a petite Japanese lady giving you an 'Ohaio'(Good day) greeting. You turn to the right into the Great Room and adjacent Dining Room, with their own unique sculptures and paintings. Huge Night Blooming Cereus cactus and tropical ginger shade the floor to ceiling from the desert sun. Continue your journey into the kitchen, equipped for someone who LIKES to cook (OR NOT). The surrounding windows look out onto your gigantic patio with its views of the grounds and neighborhood. You complete your primary circular journey by entering the gigantic living room with its soaring ceilings and stone fireplace. You can imagine yourself holding forth on the issues of the day with a glass of wine while supper is being prepared. A roaring fire is adding warmth to the convivial glow.
And the journey is only half over. Pass through the living room to right. You will see the great library, stocked with books, records and CD's spanning a collection life of nearly 50 years.
The bedrooms and computer room are just down the hall...
The laundry room is just to the left. The computer room is straight ahead. It is equipped with a Dell desktop computer with 2GB of RAM and scads of memory. It also has a wireless router, a scanner, and a color laser printer if you simply cannot leave business behind. Movies? You ask? Netflix is available (at no charge) for instant online viewing. And to continue the motif you noted upon entry to the house, the computer room desk is a 6 foot long black marble table filled with fossils The table originated in Morocco. The guest bedroom is just to the right with its own bath. And the Master Bedroom? Goodness! It is fully 28' X 21' with its own entrance to the patio. The bath? Ah. The Master Bath! A fully glassed and tiled shower, 3' X 9', handicapped accessible, with the adjoining lav area including his and hers basin areas.
This is truly a vacation home you will talk about for years to come.
*The 3rd bedroom is used as an office. Please specify if you need sleeping accommodations for the 3rd bedroom. But your third bed is not forgotten. We erect a queen bed with a 10' memory foam mattress in the library. Same privacy, just 12 additional feet to the bathroom. You can peruse my Calvin cartoon book collection and laugh yourself to sleep, or you can go through the really incredible collection of 'coffee table' books ccovering logging in the late 19th and early 20th century to 500 Million Years of Art in glorious sea shells.

3000 sq ft home - Picacho Hills Country Club

This is a vacation rental. It does double duty as my primary residence. I occupy the adjoining, separate, casita, VRBO Listing #1191114, for the duration of Guest's occupancy. Certain personal items remain in closets and drawers.
You enter this home and are greeted by huge fossils from Morocco and a sculpture of a petite Japanese lady giving you an 'Ohaio'(Good day) greeting. You turn to the right into the Great Room and adjacent Dining Room, with their own unique sculptures and paintings. Huge Night Blooming Cereus cactus and tropical ginger shade the floor to ceiling from the desert sun. Continue your journey into the kitchen, equipped for someone who LIKES to cook (OR NOT). The surrounding windows look out onto your gigantic patio with its views of the grounds and neighborhood. You complete your primary circular journey by entering the gigantic living room with its soaring ceilings and stone fireplace. You can imagine yourself holding forth on the issues of the day with a glass of wine while supper is being prepared. A roaring fire is adding warmth to the convivial glow.
And the journey is only half over. Pass through the living room to right. You will see the great library, stocked with books, records and CD's spanning a collection life of nearly 50 years.
The bedrooms and computer room are just down the hall...
The laundry room is just to the left. The computer room is straight ahead. It is equipped with a Dell desktop computer with 2GB of RAM and scads of memory. It also has a wireless router, a scanner, and a color laser printer if you simply cannot leave business behind. Movies? You ask? Netflix is available (at no charge) for instant online viewing. And to continue the motif you noted upon entry to the house, the computer room desk is a 6 foot long black marble table filled with fossils The table originated in Morocco. The guest bedroom is just to the right with its own bath. And the Master Bedroom? Goodness! It is fully 28' X 21' with its own entrance to the patio. The bath? Ah. The Master Bath! A fully glassed and tiled shower, 3' X 9', handicapped accessible, with the adjoining lav area including his and hers basin areas.
This is truly a vacation home you will talk about for years to come.
*The 3rd bedroom is used as an office. Please specify if you need sleeping accommodations for the 3rd bedroom. But your third bed is not forgotten. We erect a queen bed with a 10' memory foam mattress in the library. Same privacy, just 12 additional feet to the bathroom. You can peruse my Calvin cartoon book collection and laugh yourself to sleep, or you can go through the really incredible collection of 'coffee table' books ccovering logging in the late 19th and early 20th century to 500 Million Years of Art in glorious sea shells.

3000 sq ft home - Picacho Hills Country Club

3000 sq ft home - Picacho Hills Country Club

3000 sq ft home - Picacho Hills Country Club

This is a vacation rental. It does double duty as my primary residence. I occupy the adjoining, separate, casita, VRBO Listing #1191114, for the duration of Guest's occupancy. Certain personal items remain in closets and drawers.
You enter this home and are greeted by huge fossils from Morocco and a sculpture of a petite Japanese lady giving you an 'Ohaio'(Good day) greeting. You turn to the right into the Great Room and adjacent Dining Room, with their own unique sculptures and paintings. Huge Night Blooming Cereus cactus and tropical ginger shade the floor to ceiling from the desert sun. Continue your journey into the kitchen, equipped for someone who LIKES to cook (OR NOT). The surrounding windows look out onto your gigantic patio with its views of the grounds and neighborhood. You complete your primary circular journey by entering the gigantic living room with its soaring ceilings and stone fireplace. You can imagine yourself holding forth on the issues of the day with a glass of wine while supper is being prepared. A roaring fire is adding warmth to the convivial glow.
And the journey is only half over. Pass through the living room to right. You will see the great library, stocked with books, records and CD's spanning a collection life of nearly 50 years.
The bedrooms and computer room are just down the hall...
The laundry room is just to the left. The computer room is straight ahead. It is equipped with a Dell desktop computer with 2GB of RAM and scads of memory. It also has a wireless router, a scanner, and a color laser printer if you simply cannot leave business behind. Movies? You ask? Netflix is available (at no charge) for instant online viewing. And to continue the motif you noted upon entry to the house, the computer room desk is a 6 foot long black marble table filled with fossils The table originated in Morocco. The guest bedroom is just to the right with its own bath. And the Master Bedroom? Goodness! It is fully 28' X 21' with its own entrance to the patio. The bath? Ah. The Master Bath! A fully glassed and tiled shower, 3' X 9', handicapped accessible, with the adjoining lav area including his and hers basin areas.
This is truly a vacation home you will talk about for years to come.
*The 3rd bedroom is used as an office. Please specify if you need sleeping accommodations for the 3rd bedroom. But your third bed is not forgotten. We erect a queen bed with a 10' memory foam mattress in the library. Same privacy, just 12 additional feet to the bathroom. You can peruse my Calvin cartoon book collection and laugh yourself to sleep, or you can go through the really incredible collection of 'coffee table' books ccovering logging in the late 19th and early 20th century to 500 Million Years of Art in glorious sea shells.

Overview

Details

house

3,000
sq. ft.

Sleeps

6

Bedrooms

3

Bathrooms

2

Minimum Stay

3 nights

About the property

3 bdrms* on 1/2 desert landscaped acre in Country Club community

This is a vacation rental. It does double duty as my primary residence. I occupy the adjoining, separate, casita, VRBO Listing #1191114, for the duration of Guest's occupancy. Certain personal items remain in closets and drawers.

You enter this home and are greeted by huge fossils from Morocco and a sculpture of a petite Japanese lady giving you an 'Ohaio'(Good day) greeting. You turn to the right into the Great Room and adjacent Dining Room, with their own unique sculptures and paintings. Huge Night Blooming Cereus cactus and tropical ginger shade the floor to ceiling from the desert sun. Continue your journey into the kitchen, equipped for someone who LIKES to cook (OR NOT). The surrounding windows look out onto your gigantic patio with its views of the grounds and neighborhood. You complete your primary circular journey by entering the gigantic living room with its soaring ceilings and stone fireplace. You can imagine yourself holding forth on the issues of the day with a glass of wine while supper is being prepared. A roaring fire is adding warmth to the convivial glow.

And the journey is only half over. Pass through the living room to right. You will see the great library, stocked with books, records and CD's spanning a collection life of nearly 50 years.

The bedrooms and computer room are just down the hall...

The laundry room is just to the left. The computer room is straight ahead. It is equipped with a Dell desktop computer with 2GB of RAM and scads of memory. It also has a wireless router, a scanner, and a color laser printer if you simply cannot leave business behind. Movies? You ask? Netflix is available (at no charge) for instant online viewing. And to continue the motif you noted upon entry to the house, the computer room desk is a 6 foot long black marble table filled with fossils The table originated in Morocco. The guest bedroom is just to the right with its own bath. And the Master Bedroom? Goodness! It is fully 28' X 21' with its own entrance to the patio. The bath? Ah. The Master Bath! A fully glassed and tiled shower, 3' X 9', handicapped accessible, with the adjoining lav area including his and hers basin areas.

This is truly a vacation home you will talk about for years to come.

*The 3rd bedroom is used as an office. Please specify if you need sleeping accommodations for the 3rd bedroom. But your third bed is not forgotten. We erect a queen bed with a 10' memory foam mattress in the library. Same privacy, just 12 additional feet to the bathroom. You can peruse my Calvin cartoon book collection and laugh yourself to sleep, or you can go through the really incredible collection of 'coffee table' books ccovering logging in the late 19th and early 20th century to 500 Million Years of Art in glorious sea shells.

About Donald Kotowski

I grew up in Pennsylvania and was a great fan of Western movies. I knew I had to live in the Southwest one day. My wife and I purchased this home in 2011. We were drawn to it because it in the Southwest, has seclusion, is in a country club community and yet is close to town and the University I attended 55 years ago.

Donald Kotowski purchased this house in 2011

Why Donald Kotowski chose Picacho Hills

As previously noted, I love the Southwest, most specifically the desert. Additionally, the Incredible Organ Mountains call out to me daily to hike with my three dogs...an Old English Sheep Dog a Golden doodle and a Munsterlander/English Setter mix.

What makes this house unique

Seclusion, room for me and for my 'boys' (dogs) on one half acre with mature desert landscaping, access to the desert and wonderful hiking, yet close to the city, shopping, and health care facilities.

Amenities

Picacho Hills House Accommodation and Amenities

Property Type:

house

Meals:

Guests provide their own meals

Housekeeping:

Housekeeper Included

Floor Area:

3000 sq. ft.

House Rules:

Max. occupancy: 6

Minimum Age Limit for Renters ...

pets considered ...

Events Allowed

children welcome ...

non smoking only ...

Theme:

Family

Romantic

General:

Air Conditioning ...

Broadband Access

Clothes Dryer ...

Computer Available ...

Covered Parking ...

Free Long Distance ...

Garage ...

Hair Dryer

Internet ...

Linens Provided ...

Parking ...

Parking for RV/Boat/Trailer ...

Telephone ...

Towels Provided

Washing Machine ...

Wireless Internet ...

Wood Fireplace ...

Kitchen:

Cooking Utensils ...

Dishes & Utensils ...

Dishwasher ...

Ice Maker

Kitchen ...

Microwave ...

Refrigerator ...

Dining:

Dining ...

Dining Area

seating for 12 people

Bathrooms:

2Bathrooms

Bathroom 1 -
Bathroom 2 -

The Master Bath is especially suited to those folks with disabilities.It is glass enclosed without a door. This arrangement allows easy wheelchair access. There is a bench at one end to allow the disabled person to sit down.

Bedrooms:

3 Bedrooms, Sleeps 6

Bedroom 3 -
1 queen
,
This bedroom is set up in the library.
Bedroom 1 -
1 king
,
Master suite

King size beds (2) Master bedroom has an 18th century burl walnut bedstead with a memory foam mattress to comfortably snooze the night away, or in which to nap after that hard game of golf in the afternoon at the famed Picacho Hills Country Club golf course. (Membership or participating membership required.) The 2nd bedroom has a recent vintage, queen bed

Entertainment:

Books ...

Music Library ...

Television ...

Video Games ...

Video Library ...

Outside:

Deck / Patio ...

Outdoor Grill ...

Suitability:

wheelchair accessible ...

Attractions:

churches

library

museums

restaurants

ruins

winery tours

Leisure Activities:

antiquing

bird watching

gambling casinos

horseback riding

scenic drives

shopping

sight seeing

walking

wildlife viewing

Local Services & Businesses:

ATM/bank

groceries

hospital

Sports & Adventure Activities:

cycling

golf

golf privileges optional

hiking

hunting

mountain biking

mountain climbing

rock climbing

Notes:

Your membership in a country club elsewhere will be honored here at Picacho Hills. I am not a golfer, but I am told that the golf course at Picacho Hills Country Club has few peers. Maid service is provided once each week so that you may enjoy your stay here without the fuss of caring for 'yet another house.'

NOT UP TO PAR!!

We feel that this property was not accurately described in the listing on VRBO. We rented this it for 2 months–January 1 - February 28, 2018. We only made it through 2 nights for a number of reasons: 1.) Lack of Privacy–we learned after our arrival that we would be sharing the property with the owner, his son and his 3 dogs who were living in the converted attached garage. We would also be sharing the laundry room which meant that we had no lock-out privacy from the owner. The owner could and did enter the house on both days we were in residence – this is unacceptable. The backyard was also a shared space. When we opened the door to let our dogs in or out, one or more of the owners dogs would come into the house. (Since our complaint, the owner has amended his property description to indicate that he is living in the converted garage.) 2.) Lack of Cleanliness–the house is in need of deep cleaning. The walls are stained and dirty, the carpet in the bedrooms, bathrooms and hall are wrinkled and in need of cleaning/replacing. The appliances are very old and as are the sinks in the kitchen and bathrooms. There is dust that hasn’t been touched in quite a while on many of the owner’s collectibles and other items throughout the house. 3.) Lack of storage space–we expected to have some storage space in the kitchen/bathrooms but the kitchen/bathroom cabinets and drawers were full of their personal things. 4.) Lack of comfortable or clean seating–There were 3 dirty/smelly recliners in the home–1 in the master bedroom, 1 in great room and 1 in the entryway. The arms and upholstery on each is soiled. In the great room there is an old settee set but no real seating for 2-4 adults. The TV is in the entryway (it was not working) the only seating available to use while watching TV is one of the dirty recliners mentioned earlier. 5.) Secured backyard – the owner assured us that our 2 Labrador Retrievers would be safe in the backyard. But the backyard opens into the front yard and when the front yard gate is opened to drive in or out, the dogs can easily walk out into the street in front of the house. Overall, we were very disappointed in this property as well as seriously inconvenienced. We had been planning on this stay since we rented the property online last August – now we have ended up NOT having a seasonal rental to stay in for the winter.

Submitted: Jan 23, 2018

Stayed: December 2017

Source: VRBO, from HomeAway

Owner's Response: Hell hath no fury like a guest who discovers that words have meaning: "No refunds" That statement is prominently stated in the VRBO listing and on the reservation invoice.
Guest vacated #434187 two days after arrival without notification to any person. Guest then asked for a refund by email.
Owner refused the refund request and referred her to the notification on the description on the VRBO listing and on her payment receipt: "No refunds."
She was distressed. She vowed retribution. Her letters to VRBO (3) and this review are, I am confident, the opening salvo in her effort Each of her letters list different complaints.
Owner does not know the real reason guest vacated. The following are the facts as known to him:
Guest reserved January and February 2018 in August 2017. The house was removed from the active rental list and was removed from the availability roster. No other reservation request could be entertained by owner from August, 2017.
Guest was scheduled to arrive Jan 1. Guest did not arrive until Jan 6.
Guest met the owner upon aarrival and was given an orientation tour. Owner then removed himself to the adjoining casita, VRBO Listing #1191114. Please refer to photos of Listing #1191114.
Guests never talked to or interacted with owner in any way after that meeting.
Owner received an email Jan 8, two days later, that guest had vacated. She requested a refund.
Guest contacted VRBO and made 15 negative assertions, 8 of which, upon examination of the listing information and photographs on the listing, are provably false.
If 8 of the 15 assertions are false, the remaining 7 are suspect.
I do not know why guest chose to vacate. I do know the reasons stated in her review cannot be true. The 20+ photographs on the VRBO listing and the information provided about Listing #434187 are definitive. They cannot be false.
There is not and never has been a "garage" on the property. There has been and is a casita on the property. Please see VRBO Listing 1191114. It is used by the owner when #434187 is rented.
The 1/2 acre property is surrounded by a rock wall. The height varies between four and six feet. Entry and egress is through a movable, 24" gate. The gate is always closed except when any person needs to enter or exit.
Conclusion: Guest vacated and expected a refund. The refund was refused. Her negative, demonstrably false review is her retribution.

Wish we had known...

This was our first experience with VRBO, and unfortunately it was not the best. The owner is a very nice gentleman, however, the house was not what we expected. We rented the property, not only for a place to stay during our son's graduation, but also as a place to host the graduation reception. We expected to arrive to a clean environment, and even though the owner insisted that he spent hours cleaning it before we arrived, we found the property to be less than clean. We had to wash the sheets, which had dirt on them, and clean the bathrooms and the kitchen for it to be sanitary enough for us to stay there and host an event. The amount of money that we paid for the property should have been sufficient enough for the owner to pay for cleaning before our arrival. The time spent bringing the property up to par took away from our family time and added extra stress and cost to our weekend. We will not be returning.

Submitted: Dec 11, 2017

Stayed: December 2017

Source: VRBO, from HomeAway

Owner's Response: The first thing that is done by the owner after a guest exits is to strip the beds and launder ALL the linens. Without exception. The owner does not sleep in a bed. He sleeps in a chair due to health issues. The beds could not have been unclean. They were unused. Ditto the bathrooms. Additionally, the owner typically resides in the adjoining casita, so the house is frequently unoccupied by him between guest arrivals and departures.
I was astonished that Guest stripped the beds upon arrival. I am sorry the accommodation did not meet their standards. The accommodation has met the standards of my guests for the past five years as demonstrated by most of the previous reviews.
"You only get one chance to make a good first impression." Sometimes you fail. In your eyes, perhaps I did, but it was not for want of trying on my part.
Thank you for your comments. I wish you and your group a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. May your new graduate have great success in his journey through life.

An Incredible, Well Appointed Home but There Are Things to Consider

First the excellent parts: This is a very nice home on a large lot. There is a great patio with a nice barbeque (charcoal) and a fun means of lighting it that the "little boys" in your party will love. The kitchen is extremely well appointed for a rental (I love to cook) and the only real downsides are the stove is electric and we did not find any plastic cutting boards; otherwise, it is probably the best kitchen in a home where I have stayed for cooks (much better than average knives, stainless cookware, etc.). The living/sleeping/kitchen/bathroom areas are all very nice. Donald is a very nice gentleman and is easy to work with in virtually every aspect. We were traveling with dogs for a local Las Cruces dog show and Donald was quite ok with that, which is a huge plus. The half-acre yard is fully fenced but for those with larger - jumper dogs they may be able to get out, ours (big with one known jumper) did fine though.

The things to consider: Donald and I believe his son live in what I surmise is the converted garage and they come and go throughout the day/evening. If you are looking for complete privacy this may not be the place for you. They have three very friendly and beautiful dogs; there may be some interaction if you are traveling with dogs - in our stay all dogs (ours and Donald's) were well socialized so the couple of encounters were uneventful. If you have dogs that are not well socialized this may be an issue. We were asked not to adjust the thermostat and at night with the bedroom doors closed the rooms got warmer than we would have preferred. The only other "less than desirable" thing (only for some) is that Donald is a collector of beautiful things and they are in the house. If you are traveling with pets or younger children, this may be a concern and I highly recommend using the insurance option instead of a deposit; we had no damages but it was still $59 well spent.

I would stay here again for my purposes but I may see what other options are available first.

Not impressed

The house was dirty, the shower head didn't work, the sink was stopped up the whole time we where here. Not a good stay at all

Submitted: Jul 5, 2017

Stayed: June 2017

Source: HomeAway

Owner's Response: I am mystified by Guest's review.
Guest called me jut prior to his departure. He stated they had enjoyed the house and had had a good time. Guest is a member of a police force in NM. I am confident he is not shy about expressing his opinion to any person if he feels he has been wronged or pleased. He did not state a negative opinion during his stay, or at the time of his departure. His comments upon departure were positive in nature.
The house is professionally cleaned immediately prior to the arrival of each Guest. All linens and towels are laundered immediately prior to any Guest's arrival This stay was no exception. The house had been cleaned by mthe contactor I have used for the past five years. The cleaning contractor is registered and licensed to do business in the state of New Mexico. I can make the contractor available to Guest should Guest wish to verify my statements.
When a Guest stays at this home, I, the owner, am 1/4 mile away. My instructions are always - "If you have any problem, please call. I will be available within minutes to address any problem." Guest called to announce low pressure in shower #2. I offered to remedy of the problem within minutes of the call. Guest stated the shower would be OK until the AM.
I arrived at the house at 9AM the following morning. No one was present. I checked the shower and found it was operating normally..
I spoke to Guest later in the day when they arrived back at the house. I told Guest my inspection of the shower indicated no problem with water pressure or the operation of the shower head. I was told by Guest they found they had not applied sufficient pressure on the shower activator.After pulling the activator with sufficient force, the shower worked normally. That was what I found as well.
I did find upon my return to the house, the drain in the kitchen sink was not working properly. The slow drain was not known to me . I cannot fix a problem unless I know a problem exists or unless it is reported to me. The drain has been repaired. This contractor is a available for verification of my statements on this Review Response.
I do not know the real reason Guest was unhappy with their stay. I do know the stated complaints can not be the real reason for their distress. I am always available to discuss any reason for unhappiness. I cannot remedy a problem without knowing a problem exists.
I look forward to any questions or remarks Guest may have.

A charming house--clean, quiet and comfy!

My son graduated from NMSU in May 2017 and we rented this home to accommodate 7 family members. What a delight! We had plenty of space to spread out or we could hang out together on the spacious patio with a beautiful view of the Organ Mountains. The kitchen had everything we needed (and then some!) and the beds and bedrooms were quite cozy. The owner, Donald, met us when we arrived, gave us a tour and left us to enjoy ourselves. The bathrooms were large enough to accommodate 5 women primping at the same time. We would definitely stay here again and will recommend to friends!

Las Cruces is located in the Chihuahua Desert and is surrounded by the incredible rocky peaks of the Organ Mountains, the San Andreas Mountains, and some of the most beautiful desert landscape in the US. The hiking possibilities are endless as are the activities for the young at heart and at least moderately fit. New Mexico State University has many activities which are community oriented throughout the year.

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